U72 Lamannia Preview Release Notes

[seph1roth5]

Really hope that not much time/effort went into that reincarnation XP math, because it's such a drop in the ocean. When new people find out that 2nd/3rd life takes more xp, that sucks. When they find out there are well over 100 past lives to get, that's a kick in the teeth. Telling them that what, 1% of their PL won't take quite as long isn't going to really mean...anything.

And for everyone else that have been working on the bajillion past lives for years, it's worse than nothing. Would've been much simpler, easier, and BETTER to just reduce the XP needed on lives. Even just 20% or so.

If anything, later lives need the love lol, not lives 2-7.

 

[Thad]

Here are the updated release notes for our second Update 72 Preview, released on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025. These notes are not final, are incomplete, and will be updated over time. Additions since previous notes are marked with "NEW"
Lamannia opens starting today at 5pm, and the preview continues until 5:00pm Eastern (-4 GMT) on Friday, February 21st.

Of Special Note:

New Free Raid: Den of Vipers

A new raid is available for this preview. This raid is Legendary CR 36. Use this thread to discuss the latest changes in this preview, and use this thread to discuss the latest raid loot updates.

You can enter the raid by going to the Hall of Heroes, and then speaking with the NPC Garzin Panoplus near the fountain in the western wing. NOTE: You do not have to have completed a lantern in order to enter the raid, you simply need to be high enough level to access it. Garzin is currently enforcing raid timers, which can be obtained in either the test dojo or the DDO Store on Lamannia.

Year of the Dragon Gift: Dragon Disciple

A preview of the 13th Year of the Dragon Gift is available! Speak with Xatheral in the Hall of Heroes to try the new Dragon Disciple Archetype! Use this thread to discuss the latest changes with this preview.


Monk Updates


A preview of changes to the Monk class is also available during this preview. Use the character creation system to create a new monk or transfer an existing Monk from your home game world. Use this thread to discuss the latest changes with this preview.


DDO 19th Anniversary


Some aspects of the 19th anniversary are available to preview. Speak with the Anniversary Djinn in House Phiarlan to try them!

• During this preview the Djinn is offering the Anniversary Discovery Boost buff
• The traditional annual Anniversary Dungeon has been updated for this year with festive changes like we typically do, but there have also been more substantial adjustments made to layout and lighting in some rooms to improve performance in the quest. Let us know how performance behaves for you with these changes! NOTE: Lamannia is a 32-bit game world and may still suffer from some forms of performance issues associated with 32-bit, but we do still want to hear feedback about performance despite this.

NEW True Reincarnation Updated

Changes have been made to the True Reincarnation system to defer when the increase to required XP begins in Heroic levels.

Previously:
Your 1st Life required 1,900,000 XP to reach Level 20
Your 2nd Life required 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20
All subsequent lives required 3,800,000 XP to reach Level 20.

This has changed to the following:
Your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Lives require 1,900,000 XP to reach Level 20
Your 5th, 6th, and 7th Lives require 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20
All subsequent lives require 3,800,000 XP to reach Level 20.

This new curve is standard for all brand-new characters. This new curve applies to existing characters the next time that they True Reincarnate, Racial Reincarnate, or Iconic Reincarnate. Use this thread for discussion about these changes.

Other changes

• Character copy and character transfers have returned. (Character transfers are also now available on the live game worlds as they were before, in addition to character copy to Lamannia like usual.)
• The quest "Partycrashers" has also been adjusted for improved performance. Several of its rooms have had their layout or lighting further modified.
• The Vorpal Strikes feat now properly allows Handwraps to be treated as Vorpal.
• The Unarmed Strike feat now grants +5 Melee Power per copy of the feat while Centered and using Handwraps.
• NEW Fixed an issue where VIP reward buffs could disappear upon death.
• NEW Fixed an issue where the VIP reward for Discovery was instead appearing as Artisan's Advantage.
• NEW Fixed an issue with +2 to +3 racial enhancement upgrade tomes.

I Spoke with the Anniversary Djinn in House Phiarlan. He had only 2 options.
1 redemption for the scarf (which i could not claim at this time)
2 15 anniversary token trade in.
No discovery boost option unless i am missing something

 

[Mokune]

I noticed similar while testing a Dragon Born Dragon Disciple. The moment you hit any of the breath attacks, racial or DD's, you'd have a momentary lockup.

Slow windup pauses before and after activating any ability are egregiously offensive and fun killing BS.

If this is the case then Dragon Disciple is DOA

 

[Future]

I love that we're getting a F2P raid! Very nice

 

[Zvdegor]

Really hope that not much time/effort went into that reincarnation XP math, because it's such a drop in the ocean. When new people find out that 2nd/3rd life takes more xp, that sucks. When they find out there are well over 100 past lives to get, that's a kick in the teeth. Telling them that what, 1% of their PL won't take quite as long isn't going to really mean...anything.

And for everyone else that have been working on the bajillion past lives for years, it's worse than nothing. Would've been much simpler, easier, and BETTER to just reduce the XP needed on lives. Even just 20% or so.

If anything, later lives need the love lol, not lives 2-7.

Maybe if the different xp levels were bound to heroic 1x/2x/3x completion feats? Like till a toon reaches 1 time heroic comp, lvl 20 stays at 1.9 mill. Thats like a big exp drop in the 1/3-rd of heroic lifes. Till 2nd heroic comp next cap exp level and above that 3.8 mill. Of course that means SSG has to rework the free heroic comp feat (similar to epic comp feats) into 3 different levels each level with higher bonuses.
It also would help to regain your comp feats faster when a new class/race is released since 1st new class life would be again 1.9 mill exp and the 3rd 3.8 mill exp.
This way Racials also could be done way faster (if you do those lifes 1st)
Just an idea...

 

[Archest]

how will the faster TR xp effect the accumulation of reaper points?

I can see its good for free to play and premium players so they can obtain 3 life's and open on elite reaper with less grinding.

 

[Zvdegor]

how will the faster TR xp effect the accumulation of reaper points?

I can see its good for free to play and premium players so they can obtain 3 life's and open on elite reaper with less grinding.

Players mostly heroic level on R1 for speed (even power creeps) so IMO majority of players wont be effected much since you earn reaper points at cap running everything on R6-10.

 

[Br4d]

This should be a hot fix. It's really annoying having to re-log after death inside a quest to get your buffs back. The fact that it's not just bolsters the perceived attitude that the devs don't care about the VIP's.

It's not malice. It's the weight of supporting a game that has been in development for more than two decades while making it more complex over time not simpler.

The reality is likely that the devs spend a large part of their time on pre-mitigation of potential issues however staffing levels are too low to do this efficiently. This means we get overworked devs doing their best to keep things together in an environment where together is not part of the big picture,

 

[Ventrul]

What an incredible news! 19 years to change the way TR is done is something I always imagined and now it is about to happen. Let’s take the opportunity to spend some time and choose the best option for new players. Most active players already have countless TRs so this change will not affect the already established player base. With the arrival of the 64-bit server this implies a greater player capacity which will attract many new players as well as old ones who have been away from the game for years.

Here is my suggested progression curve:

Your 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th and 6th Lives require 1,900,000 XP to reach Level 20.
Your 7th 8th and 9th Lives require 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20.
All subsequent lives require 3,800,000 XP to reach Level 20.

 

[Pardoner]

This has changed to the following:
Your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Lives require 1,900,000 XP to reach Level 20
Your 5th, 6th, and 7th Lives require 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20
All subsequent lives require 3,800,000 XP to reach Level 20.

I know the answer (unfortunately) but why cant those of us who have TRred so many times get some of our xp back as xp gems? Just as a nice gesture? Not fiscally responsible, I know.

 

[Daedricz-1]

Lol yes make it easier for new players to figure out.

Get rid of the extra xp cost for concurrent lives altogether( all heroic levels should be 1.9 mil xp), those that care about grinding out power have already spent their money on ottoboxes and xp pots. The rest of the population couldn’t care less about past lives. Finally, new players are simply going to be insulted once they figure out that the game has this concept of increased grind as you get a few extra lives when there are hundreds of lives.

I agree. If you're trying to get new players and existing players to return, remove the XP increase. The ever-growing list of past lives is already daunting enough. I would also reduce the reincarnation timer a bit.

 

[Biggdaddy]

It's not malice. It's the weight of supporting a game that has been in development for more than two decades while making it more complex over time not simpler.

The reality is likely that the devs spend a large part of their time on pre-mitigation of potential issues however staffing levels are too low to do this efficiently. This means we get overworked devs doing their best to keep things together in an environment where together is not part of the big picture,

I know it's not malice, but this could have been rolled out with a restart instead of waiting for weeks/months/whatever for an update to launch.

 

[mikarddo]

Maybe if the different xp levels were bound to heroic 1x/2x/3x completion feats? Like till a toon reaches 1 time heroic comp, lvl 20 stays at 1.9 mill. Thats like a big exp drop in the 1/3-rd of heroic lifes. Till 2nd heroic comp next cap exp level and above that 3.8 mill. Of course that means SSG has to rework the free heroic comp feat (similar to epic comp feats) into 3 different levels each level with higher bonuses.
It also would help to regain your comp feats faster when a new class/race is released since 1st new class life would be again 1.9 mill exp and the 3rd 3.8 mill exp.
This way Racials also could be done way faster (if you do those lifes 1st)
Just an idea...

Balancing nightmare.

Suddenly being 3x heroic compl may be a huge disadvantage if you lack a load of racials.

Thus its a bad idea.

 

[danzig138]

This has changed to the following:
Your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Lives require 1,900,000 XP to reach Level 20
Your 5th, 6th, and 7th Lives require 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20
All subsequent lives require 3,800,000 XP to reach Level 20.

Lol

Garbage.

If you insist on maintain the increased XP requirement - which is ridiculous on a foundational level - this doesn't really help most of your player base, and it's not going to be enough to retain new players when, as noted by others, they realize just how many past lives can and often need be had.

If you're going to change this, I'd do it in increments of 20 lives per block of increase.
I.E.
Lives 1-20 are at the normal amount of XP.
Lives 21-40 are 2,850,000 XP to reach Level 20
Lives 41 + are 3,800,000 to reach 20.

You'll still sell plenty of boxes.

And every character that's done more than one life should probably get a free heroic XP stone after this change occurs.

 

[Epzilon]

I agree. If you're trying to get new players and existing players to return, remove the XP increase. The ever-growing list of past lives is already daunting enough. I would also reduce the reincarnation timer a bit.

My only concern with adjusting the timer is you could lead to some real serious burnout if someone *could* do a life every day. Sometimes, it is about protecting players from themselves, but I suppose right now those people just have multiple characters/accounts.
It's hard to talk about changes to the reincarnation system. as the eternal treadmill is what keeps a lot of long-term players on and incentivizes a desire for things like SOVs. I know I often use 1-2 specifically timed ones, depending on the pace of the life I'm on with friend I play with.

 

[Daedricz-1]

My only concern with adjusting the timer is you could lead to some real serious burnout if someone *could* do a life every day. Sometimes, it is about protecting players from themselves, but I suppose right now those people just have multiple characters/accounts.
It's hard to talk about changes to the reincarnation system. as the eternal treadmill is what keeps a lot of long-term players on and incentivizes a desire for things like SOVs. I know I often use 1-2 specifically timed ones, depending on the pace of the life I'm on with friend I play with.

True, but I think they should reduce it to 2 days at least since not everyone is doing 1 to cap every life. Putting up walls to slow progression isn't always ideal, especially if they are overkill like ransack timer. The game is about growing your character(s) through past lives and gear and trying different build combinations. When you hit that wall there is a good chance you'll move to another game while you wait and if you hit that wall enough times there is a chance you won't return. I've experienced burnout a few times from waiting on timers which usually resulted in an extended break.

 

[RayRay Ramone]

Gee thanks for the TR XP change. I'm only 100 or so lives in on my main. This change will be very helpful.

 

[Vox]

I'm on board with the xp change, it's a nice gesture, thank you.

 

[Ventrul]

Why not adjust it to 2 experience tiers instead of 3?
1st: First life - 2,000,000
2nd: All subsequent lives require 3,000,000

This way, all players would benefit, both old and new.

 

[Rajac]

I prefer larger XP for reincarnating in most cases. Not everyone likes the "end game" thing with all that rush to level 99, but I do like the actual changes. Maybe we should have an official counter of reincarnations, and everyone gains some kind of bonus for their 2nd to 7th reincarnations (even those who have already passed the 7th, making their 8th like their 2nd in this new system), making it worth much more. I've been playing DDO since release, but I'm not a full-time gamer and go slowly through most levels. It sucks if it feels like it was a waste of time. If you want to encourage new players to pursue reincarnations, make something else without negatively affecting older players. Create a new reward system that could include XP elixirs, or maybe a 20% XP buff added for every level acquired—it will incentivize continuous playing instead.

Additionally, an Achievement System, much like monster manuals but with actual achievement things in this game, would prolong its life for both new and older players.